Here is a list of the most basic considerations for selecting landscaping plants that will allow even a plant novice to be successful:
1. Select plants that are suited to the hardiness zone where you plan to plant them. Hardiness zones are basically a guide to determining what plants are suited for the temperature extremes that occur in the area where you live. All plants have different thresholds for extreme temperatures that they can withstand, this will help to insure that the trees, bushes, and perennials will survive more than one season.
2. Follow instructions for each plant’s light needs. If a plant is a partial sun or shade plant, do not plant it in the sun, as the delicate leaves will actually get seared in the heat of direct sunlight. Sun plants, although they may not die in the shade, will likely have far fewer blooms than they would in the sun, if they even produce any blooms at all.
3. Fertilize plants with appropriate fertilizer, and follow manufacturer’s instructions on the package for application directions relating to amount of fertilizer, and frequency that it should be applied (do not over fertilize the plants, as excessive fertilizer can burn and kill plants). For blooming plants and bushes a great choices is a a slow release, bloom boosting fertilizer that lasts three months per application (there are several brands and they all seem to work equally well). For trees and other types of plants, a good all-purpose granular fertilizer, or a root blasting liquid fertilizer, works very well. These multi-purpose fertilizers vary in length of time that should be allowed between applications, so follow the directions.
4. Water plants in the correct frequency and at the right time of day. Watering too much is as likely to kill your plants as not watering enough, that is why it is important to find the right balance. In most cases, watering plants, that are planted in the ground, every other day will be perfect. However, if you want to be certain, feel the ground for dampness the day after you have watered, if it is completely dry, you should definitely water again. Plants that are in planters should be watered daily.
Watering at the right time of day is also very key, because if you water at the hottest part of the day, much of the water will evaporate and not do any good for the plants, and there is a pretty good potential that the steam that comes off of the ground will actually cook the plants. This may not kill the plants completely, but it will definitely affect their overall health and beauty. The optimum time for watering is early in the morning, before the sun gets too hot, or in the cool of the evening.
5. You now have the basics, all that is left is to start beautifying your yard with the addition of trees, shrubs, and flowers.
